Audi, a renowned German luxury car manufacturer, is set to commence production at its new electric car factory in Changchun, northern China, before the end of this year. This was announced in a statement released by the company on Thursday ahead of the Beijing Motor Show next week. At the show, Audi will be displaying fully electric cars with a particular focus on the Chinese market, which is currently the largest in the world.
As part of its strategy to become a global leader in premium electric mobility, Audi has adopted a local approach to building cars “in China for China.” The cars produced in Changchun will be based on the luxury platform PPE (Premium Platform Electric), which was developed collaboratively with Porsche. Audi’s joint venture in China, Audi FAW NEV, will begin manufacturing three models based on the PPE platform by the end of this year. These models include the Audi Q6 e-tron and Audi A6 e-tron series tailored for the Chinese market, with pre-production already underway at the new factory.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the future of Audi’s Brussels factory where the fully electric Q8 e-tron is currently being manufactured. After it was announced that no successor would be produced after 2027, uncertainty emerged around whether or not production would continue at all. This year has seen economic challenges at Audi Brussels leading to temporary job losses and production slowdown. In response to these issues, Prime Minister De Croo has formed an Audi task force to address them and secure the future of Audi Brussels before upcoming elections. The task force comprises government representatives and factory management and will reconvene in early May to work towards a resolution.